10 Lesser known facts about the versatile Craig McMillan

10 Lesser known facts about the versatile Craig McMillan: Craig McMillan the innovative Kiwi batsman celebrates his birthday today. Presently the batting coach of the New Zealand, McMillan was a crackling limited-over batsman and a useful right-arm medium pace bowler. He contributed 10 years of his life to cricket. The roller coaster ride ended in 2007 with outstanding performances to punctuate his career.

McMillan, who turns 39 today featured in 197 ODI matches and scored 4707 runs at an average 28.18 and a strike rate of 75.94 with 3 centuries and 28 half centuries.

Here are the 10 Lesser known facts about the versatile Craig McMillan:

1. Versatility:

Craig McMillan besides being destructive with the bat, was a useful bowler. He played in all formats of the game Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

 2. Off-field associations:

McMillan is the batting coach of the New Zealand team and has been a part of the commentary box for Sky Network Televisions and in the IPL.

3. Russell Crowe connection:

His team mates call him ‘Gladiator,’ the name was given to McMillan for his resembling look to actor Russell Crowe especially in the movie Gladiator.

4. Search for a Job:

McMillan’s world turned upside down when he was dropped from the New Zealand side in 2005, he began looking for a job employment- including that of a salesman.

5. Comeback:

After being dropped from the team in 2005, McMillan made a strong comeback in the limited-over format during the home series against Sri Lanka in December, 2006 followed by a strong performance in the CB series in Australia, which reserved him a place in the World Cup squad.

6. Records:

McMillan broke Jacob Oram’s record of fastest hundred by a New Zealander that came off 71 balls by scoring a century against Australia in just 67 balls. However, the currently the record is held by Corey Anderson, who scored a ton off just 36 balls. In 2000-01 Craig scored 26 from an over by Younis Khan which was also a record at that time.

7. First Class cricket:

He played First Class cricket for Canterbury in New Zealand and has also played English county cricket for Hampshire and Gloucestershire.

8. Test Cricket:

After he was overlooked in a series against Sri Lanka in 2003, McMillan came back strong with an 83 not out and an unbeaten century against India in 2003-04 to reinforce his spot in the Test  team but 18 months later he was again dropped and was considered solely as a limited-over option.

9. The goodbye:

At the age of 31, Craig McMillan announced his retirement from the international cricket on 17^th October 2007, due to personal reasons after a cracking performance in World T20 Championship where he finished as the 2^nd leading run scorer for New Zealand with 163 runs at an average of 40.75.

10. ICL:

Soon after his retirement the Kiwi hard hitter joined the Indian Cricket League and captained the Royal Bengal Tiger, however, he quit the league in 2009 and signed a contract with Canterbury.